Select Local Merchants

Though monkey figurines dangle from its banana-yellow walls, Mickey’s Monkey holds décor fit for humans, too. Art, light fixtures, knick-knacks, antiques, and furniture fill Michael Kerry’s whimsical shop, which he opened after years in flea markets and street sales hawking the items he’d collected on international trips. The lightly used items in Mickey’s Monkey come with a slashed price tag, which may explain the shop’s popularity among young people setting up their first place or building the best blanket fort ever. Much of the furniture sits outside, drawing passersby into his shop filled with what Apartment Therapy called “a treasure trove of mostly vintage accessories for your home. Think grandma’s attic, only better.”

Books & Bookshelves has much more character than its no-nonsense name implies. For starters, they sell an entire collection of furniture, most of which is custom made. Clients can submit measurements, rough sketches, and even photos of similar pieces they like, which the carpenters use to build one-of-a-kind pieces such as bookcases. Projects can be left unfinished, like Beethoven's 10th chicken wing, or they can be finished with the client's choice of stain or paint.
To fill their newly built bookshelves, customers can shop a library of poetry books written and published by locals. Likewise, a diverse selection of paintings, photography, and even puzzles has all been crafted by area artisans. Shoppers can learn more about the writers and artists at Books & Bookshelves' special events, which have ranged from queer poetry readings to celebrations of W.H. Auden.

Rare Device is, simply, good stuff for you, your home and your kids. The storefront is a place to promote designers, artists and artisans plus help them grow by taking on new projects and collaborations.